Garage.



Fys. HALL.

GARAGE. 'APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1.11915- Patented Dec. 24, 191

F. B. HALL.

GARAGE.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. I. I9I5.

1538895?. PaIenIed Dee. 24,1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Inventor j'rran HCLZL By M F. B. HALL.

GARAGE.. APPLICATION FILED OCT. 1, 1915.

Yatente Dec. 24, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Inman/n Evil/Xi B. Haz/U) F. B. HALL. GARAGE. APPLICATION FILED OCT, I. |915.

1,256?, Patented 960.211.1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

vF. B. HALL.

GARAGE.

l APPLICATION FILED OCT. I. 1915. 1,281,5?` Patented De@.24,1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6- FRANK BARR HALL, OF NEWTON FALLS, OHIO.

GARAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed (tober 1, 1915. Serial No. 53,567'.

To all wko/1L it may concern.:

Be it known that I, FRANK B. HALL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Newton Falls, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Garages, of

which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of rthis specification.

My invention relates to building construction and its purpose iste; provide. a build-v ing. commonly known as a public garage, in which a large number of vehicles, such as automobiles, may be housed with a maximum of economy in floor space and with a maximum eiliciency in respect to accessibility and convenience in inward and outward Irailic.

ln cities, particularly those of considerable size, where. many automobiles are left for the day in the congested business district, garages are. provided for the accommodation of such vehicles, and considerable numbers are thus taken care of. However, in the ordinary buildings provided for' such purposes. not only is the floor space extremely limited. relative to the ground occupied. but

the amount of available siace for storage' purposes is greatly cut down in order that the vehicles may be accessible in whatever order desired and in order that inward and outward trafiic may be possible. If the floors are crowded, it' is frequentlynecessary to move several vehicles in order `to get a particular one and this not only involves imonveuience. and consumes considerable time. but it also obstructs-traliie and halts the entry of further vehicles while such certain ear is being removed. l

lt is the object of my invention to eliminate the difficulties set forth in the preceding paragraph, to provide a vgarage in which a maximum of floor space is secured with a minimum utilization of ground, in which any automobile may be quickly removed without moving any other automobiles, in which the automobiles may be moved and placed with a` minimum of effort, in which positionsl may be. conveniently classified, and'in which inward and outward traliie may take place simultaneously. To

lthese ends, I provide a garage which may be of any desired number of floors, in which the car stallsare in the nature of pigeon-r holes, in which the cars may enter from one direction and. depart from another, in which carrying means is provided to move the cars from the entry-way to any particular pigeon-hole 'or stall, and in which the cars are moved for certain transfers, not by the power of the automobile itself, but by means of titlting platforms. These features I have embodied in a structure of simple design A,and practical erection and with ,them I have associated numerous devices for con- Figure 1 shows more or less diagrammatically a plan view of the garage ofmy invention; l Y

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the plane of the line 2, 2, of

Fig." 1 and looking 'in the direction indicated by the' arrows;

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of the traveling elevator, which Iemploy;

Fig. t is a. plan view of the traveling elevator; y

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a stall; Fig. 6 is an elevational view of a stall; Fig. 7 is, an elevational view of a stall as seen from the elevator shaft; p f

Fig. 8 is a detail view, being a section taken on .the plane of the line 8, 8'of Fig. 7 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows i Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the relation between the elevator platform `and the stall platform l 4M lig. 10 is a detail view of the elevator' platform, being a section taken on the plane of the line 10, 1() of Fig. .4 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows;

Fig. 11 is a partial sectional view taken on the plane of the line 1l, 11, of Fig. 10, and looking in -thedirection indicated by the arrows; andy li`igs. 12 and 13 are detail viewsof certain parts of the ele *zi-tor platform mechanism.

Referring irst to Fig. 1, it will be seen v that I provide a building which preferably has doors 14, 14 and 15 and the front passageway 16 on the main oor. t right angles t0 the passageway 16 and extending the entire de th of the building are two runways 17, 1 which, as will fully appearA later, provide for two elongated elevatorV shafts. On each side of each lof the runways 17 there is `provided a plurality of automobile stalls`18, 18 and it will be clear that this typical floor plan, so far as the resented Dec. 24, 191e.

stalls are concerned, maybe repeated as often as desired, within reasonable limits, to produce a building of any suitable number of floors. The two elongated elevator -point inthe length of the run vays 17. and

to any height inthe elevator shaft which it defines.

The foregoingr will sutlice for an understanding of a general arrangement contemplated by my invention and I shall lnow proceed with a more detailed description. Referring kto Fig. 2, it will be Seen tial; 1 provide the side walls 20, 20, the main floor 2l, and the additional floors 22, any number of which may be employed. 'lhe top fioor 28 is utilized for the accommodation of the means for supporting and moving the elevator andthe root 24, of coursefcovers the entire Structure. The runway 17 is pro-4 vided with longitudinally extending rails 25, 25, which forni a track for the car 26, having wheels 27, 27 ruiming upon the'rails,

A traveling carriage 2S is 'provided upon the top floor, this carriage being mounted upon shafts 25), 2S), which, in turn, vare provided With wheels 30, 30, running upon the rails 31, 31, set upon the top floor, the carriage thus spanning the elevator shaft and beingapable of movement from one end to the other thereof. A gear 32, secured upon the shaft 29 is operatively connected with the pinion 33 on the shaft 3l of the electriomotor` 35 which may receive its power by means of trolley wires 3b, the circuitv (if-which may be controlled in any suitable manner, as hereinafter pointed out. Also secured upon the shaft 2t) are the two pinions 37, 57 which cooperate with racks 38, 38 mounted upon the floor 23, as shown. lt will thus be seen that, when the motor 35 operates, the carriage, dut` tothe operation of the rack and pinion mechanism, will move longitudinally of the elevator shaft.

Extending between the carria, 2S and the car 2li is the structural framework 39 which ruides the' elevator cage in its vertical move- 3 and 4, comprises the base 40, which normally rests upon the car 26, the uprights l1,

and the upper cross-pieces l2, l2, which are joined by the crossbar 4?, to which the cable 44, shown in Fig. 2, is secured. 'lhis cable passes upwardly7 -to and is wound upon a drinn properly journaled in supports 4G, fitti, this drum having a gear 47 which,

l through intermediate gearing and Shafting 48, is operatively connected with the pinion -49 on the motor 5.0 set upon the carriage 28.

The motor 50 derives its electric power from the trolley arrangement 51 which may be controlled in any convenient manner as hereinafter described.

The elevator cage is provided with a tilting platform 52, this platform being pivot'ed 'atf-l in thebearingsQ'il, secured upon the. top of the base lt) of the cage. A\lso pivoted at. 53 is an operating lever 5.3 to which pivoted at 56 a shifting bar 57. llach cud of the shifting bar 57 is pivoted at 5S to an arm 59 Secured upon a shaft, ttt) set in bearing pieces (il alsomounted upon the top of` the base ofthe cage. Also secured upon thc shaft (it) is an arm (52 which carries a roller (53, the arrangen'ient being-such that 'llcll the bar 57 is nioved'to one side or the other ithe roller arm will be raised so that the roller will engage the under side of the platform and tilt it. it being possible in this way by moving the operating lever '55 to tilt the platform in one direction or the other alioiit the pivot 53. In order to hold the platform in either position the operating lever is provided with latch,mechanism (ll adapted vto cooperate with one of two slots (t5, (t5. in

n sectoi- (it mounted upon the base of the cage. As illustrated in Fig. 13,there is possible a slight relative movement between thc bar 57 and thc operating level' 55 in order -to compensate for movement about ditt'ercnt centers.

Near each end of the `platform 52 a pair of back-stops (37, (S7 is provided, these backstops 'being'separated to correspond to the usual distance between autoi'nobile wheels. These baclcstops are mounted upon an oscillating shaft (3S and are adapted to occupy two positions,l either flush with the floor of the platfornnto forni a part thereof, `or ext-ending upwardly. as illustrated inA Fig. 1t). llach of the Shafts (3S is providcd at the end with a crank arm (St) and the two crank arms ($9,465), are coiinected together by a rod 70. An operziting lever 7l pivoted to thc platform at 72, as clearly shown in' Fie'. l2, has a downwardly extending portion which carries a pin 73 engaging in a slot 7l in the rod 70, it being thus possible by incans of the operating lever 71 to mise the back-stops at one end of the platform and lower those at thel other end of the=platform simultaneously. ln order that. the operating lever 71 may be held in either position a sector 754 is provided and latching` mechanism 7l? is carried by the lever and coi'iperates with thenotches 7G', 76', .in the sector.

At, each end of the platform 52 a shaft 77..

is i-iiounted in bearings 78, 7S, this shaftr bciiig provided with a cranldiandle 7S). llach ofthe shafts 'arries a pair of riding plates 80, 80, which are thus adapted to occupy two positions, either Hush with the floor of the platform or the thrown-out position, illustrated in Fig. (l, for a purpose which will be -described presently, It will be seen that leo ' ing of the elevatorl cage.

touches the raised stops G7, 67. Then the brakes of the autolnobile are set and the lever T1 is thrown to its right-hand position so as to lower the right hand stops 67 and raise the left hand stops, thus insuring safety incase theA brakes should give way.

Two switches 101 and 102, are mounted in aA convenient place upon the elevator cage, as .illustrated in Fig. 3, for example. One of these switches controls the circuit of the motor 35 and the other controls the circuit ot' the motor 50./ The operator, now that the automobile has beenproperly set upon the platform 52, may. actuate the switch 101 to start the motor in the properdirection. This results in the movement of the car, carriage 2S, guiding and supporting structure 3S), elevator cage and automobile, longitudimilly of the runway 17, the entire arrangement running upon the tracks 25 and 31, as has been described. When this traveling structure has reached the vertical tier of stalls which contains t-he stall to which the 'autolnobile has beenl assigned, thel and this results in the winding of the cable 44 upon its drum and the consequent rais- The elevator is then raised to the Vdesired floor and the cage is then directly in front of the stall which is to receive ,the automobile.

tilted rearwardly. AThe operator raises the Agate 84 and brings the elevator to such a height that the lower end of the platform 52 is opposite the upper end of the platform 90. The rider plates 80, S0 are then thrown out' so as to bridge the gap between the lower end of the platform 52 and the upper end of the platform 90 and the auto- 'v mobile has then a continuous surface, com- -that it is possible for the, weight of the automobile to cause it to move down the incline when the brakes are released.

The stall now being ready for the reception of the automobile` the brakes ofthe automobile are released and the left hand back stops are lowered by moving the operating lever 71 to its left hand position, the resulting condition being shown in Fig. 9. The automobile then moves down the incline by itsV own lweight until it reaches the'back-stops 93 on the platform 90.-

In the foregoing the presumption hask Normally, in an empty stall, the tilting platform 9()v is 14 was to be assigned to a stall'on the left hand side of the elevator shaft. It will be obvious that if the car is assigned to a stall on the right hand side of the elevator shaftv the operator will shift the lever 55 to the opposite position and then 'the ysame mode of operation, as has been described, with the proper manipulation of the backstops on the elevator platform, will ensue.`

I shall 'now describe how an automobile is removed from the. garage. The elevator cage is moved horizontally and .vertically to the proper position in front of the stall wherein the car to be removed is stored, the receiving end of the platform 52 being raised to its upper position and, by the movement of the elevator, being brought into line with the lower position ofthe front end of the stall platform 90. In this position it may be unnecessary to use the rider plates 80, since the cross-beam construction of the building itself may properly till the gap. However, the rider plates may be utilized if necessary or desirable. Here again the idea is to dispose the parts softhat the stall platform and the elevator platform will form a substantially flush unbroken surface, both tilting in the same direction. The elevator cage now having been brought to position to register with the stalls from which the automobile is to be removed, the operator raises the gate and,l

is intended to .distribute the weight of the car unequally, the front of the platform will lower by its own weight and the'weight of the car and all that the operator does with the lever 95is to guide and moderate this lowering movement. However, if, not-- withstanding this provision, the greater proportion of the weight is to the rear of the pivot 91, the operator may manipulate the lever 95 by pulling it toward him and overcoming the overbalancing effect. Either operation is possible and entirely practical.-

It is my intention, however, to have the pivot 'sufficiently far back so that a car, even with a. short wheel' base, will have'the .greater proportion of its weight to the front of the pivot. The brakes being released, the automobile is at liberty to ride down the inclined surface thus formed until it engages the raised'back-stops 67, 67 at the lower end ofthe platform 52. 4, It may be desirable as' a matter of precaution, to set the brakes on the automobiles when theyhave been lodged in the stalls, and if so they must ofcourse be released before the car may ride down `the incline. automobile reaches the lower stops on the platform 52, theA brakes are again set and' When the the elevator cage is moved horizontally 4and vertically, as may be necessary, to bring-.it

- for bridging On the other hand, the arrangement may that the automobiles always enterv another, as in be suoli bv one door and depart by any case the most convenient assignment is used.

I claim as new and Letters' Patent:

1. In a garage, a stall liaving a platform therein tilting both ways from a level position, and a car carrying a platform tilting both ways from`- a level position movable toward and away from said stall.

'2. In a garage, a stall having a platform therein tilting both ways from a level position, a car carrying a platform tilting both ways from a level position movable towar and away from said stall and means for tilting said platforms. i

3. ing a frame, near each end for simultaneously lowering at one end and raising end.

Hi. In a garage, a stall having a platform therein tilting both ways from a level position, a car carrying a platform tilting both ways from a. level position movable toward and away from said stall and rider plates for bridging the gap between said platforms.

5. 'In a garage, a stall having a platform therein tilting both ways from a level posi'- tion, a car carrying a platform tilting both ways from a level position and away 'from said stall and rider plates the gap between sai plat-` forms, lsaid plates being movable into and out of operative position.

G. A stall having a pivoted platform therein, means for tilting said platform, anda gate for said stall, said gate .when closed preventing the operation ofthe tilting means.

7 Ina garage, a plurality of stalls aii'aiiged in vertical and horizontal rows, an

desire to secure by A car for carrying a vehicle comprisa tilting platform, back-stops of said platform and means the back-stops elevator structure movable horizontally alongside said stalls, an elevator cage movaloli` vertically in said structure, a tilting platform in said cage and a. tilting platform in each of said stalls. said tilting platform of said cage being adapted to form an cxtensionaif the tilting platform of any of said stalls.'

8. In a garage, a plingality of floors ditop of said floors,

"vided intov stalls,

those at the other said stalls,

movable toward.

stall when the car ruiming on said tracks, tracks above the a carriage on said last carriage bridging said named tracks, said 'between said car shaft, a guiding structure and carriage, a cage mounted movement in said structure, and a tilting latform in said cage and in each of said stalls,v said tilting platform of said cage being adapted to forni an extension of the tilting plat-form` of any of said stalls.

9. In a garage, a plurality of floors dia'n elongat elevator shaft, tracks at the bottom of said shaft, a car running oii said tracks, tracks above the top of said floors, a carriage on said last named tracks, said carriage bridging said shaft, a guiding structure between said car and carriage, a cage mounted for vertical movement in said'structure,

latform in said cage land in each of said stalls, each of said stalls having a gate accessible from said shaft,y and said tilting latform of said orm an extension off-the tiltingp of any of said stalls.

`10. In a garage, a plurality of stalls arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, -a carrier movable vertically and horizontally of said stalls, a tilting platform on sai carrier, and a tilting platform in cach of said tilting platform of said carrier being adapted to form an extension o the tilting platform 0f any -of either inclined inclined downwardly out of the stall so th an automobile may move by gravityv into the stall when the associ-ated platforms are in one position or out of the stall when they are in the other position.

|11. In a garage, a ranged in vertical and'lioijizontal rows, a carrier movable vertically and horizontally of said stalls, -a tilting platform von said carrier, and a tilting platform in each of said stalls, said tilting platf being adapted to form an extenson'of the inclined downwardly into the stallI or inclined downwardly out of the stall so that an automobile may move by gravity into the associated platforms are in one position or out of the stall when they are in the other position, forms of the stalls being so in that the inner ends thereof -are overbalancing when containing-an automobile.

-In witness whereof my name this 25th day FRANK "BARR HALL.

I hereunto subscribe of September, A D

the tilting plaft-A vided into stalls, an elongated elevator f shaft, tracks at thebottom of said shaft, a

for vertical and a tilting d stalls plurality of stalls, ar-

oi'm of said carrier 

